Low cost system for remote patient audio/video content delivery

ABSTRACT

When providing a cost-efficient remote patient monitoring and/or education system, a home-end device (HED) ( 12 ) is coupled to a central server ( 14 ) using a communication link over PSTN line or the like. Educational audio/video (AN) content is delivered to the patient on a storage medium ( 18 ) for playback via a media player ( 20, 38 ) in the HED ( 12 ). The server ( 14 ) provides keys to the HED ( 12 ) at predefined times to permit the HED ( 12 ) to display a scheduled video segment stored on the storage medium ( 18 ) to the patient at the scheduled time. The patient answers survey questions, and patient responses are transmitted over the PSTN line to the server for review by a clinician or doctor, who may be present at the server ( 14 ) or at a remote terminal ( 16 ) coupled to the server ( 14 ). Additionally, one or more patient monitoring devices ( 22 ) are coupled to the HED ( 12 ), and the HED ( 12 ) transmits monitored conditions of the patient to the central server ( 14 ) over the communication link for evaluation by the clinician or doctor.

The present application finds particular application in remotecommunication of healthcare information, education, and monitoring ofthe health status for a patient, particularly involving user-friendlyinstallation of networking systems at a patient's location, such as apatient's residence, to facilitate connecting a user to a centralizedserver for service. However, it will be appreciated that the describedtechnique(s) may also find application in other remote user systems,other health status monitoring techniques, or other communicationtechniques.

Home telemonitoring and information systems leverage consumerelectronics and broadband technologies to implement a secure,personalized healthcare platform connecting patients and their careproviders, thereby enabling new care models. For example, healthcareorganizations can use such systems to manage patients with chronicdiseases. Some systems can use vital sign measurement devices in thepatient's home to obtain objective, quantifiable data on the patient'smedical condition. Additionally, short surveys or questionnaires can bepresented to the patient to obtain subjective data on the patient'smedical condition and to test the patient's knowledge of healthcareissues. A variety of techniques can be employed to assist the patient inmodifying his or her behavior to help treat the patient's medicalcondition. For example, custom video content can be presented on thepatient's television in his or her home using an Internet protocol settop box connected to a broadband (e.g., cable, DSL, satellite) Internetconnection.

However, conventional solutions have drawbacks. One problem is relatedto the costs of equipment, maintaining the broadband connection, andinstalling the equipment. Another problem with conventional solutions isthat broadband connections to the home, although fairly common, are notreadily available in some geographical areas. The high data ratesavailable over broadband are typically only required for video transfer,not for other functions such as vital sign device data, messages,surveys, quizzes, etc. Thus, there is an unmet need in the art forsystems and methods that facilitate streamlining remote patientmonitoring systems to reduce patient confusion during setup and/or use,and to mitigate costs associated with providing unnecessaryfunctionality that the patient does not need or use.

In accordance with one aspect, a system for remotely monitoring apatient includes a home-end device HED that periodically connects to ahealthcare service provider server over a communication link andreceives at least one decryption key. The system further includes amedia player that receives a storage medium containing encryptedaudio/video (A/V) content, a scheduled portion of which is unlocked bythe at least one decryption key, and a power cable connection.

In accordance with another aspect, a method for providing a remotepatient healthcare monitoring and education system includes instructingthe patient to connect an HED to a telephone line and a power source,physically providing encrypted healthcare-related media content to apatient on a physical medium, instructing the patient to insert themedia content physical medium into a media player associated with theHED, and generating a communication link between the HED and acentralized server over the telephone line. The method additionallyincludes providing one or more keys that unlock a scheduled portion ofthe media content to the HED and displaying the scheduled portion of themedia content to the patient.

One advantage is that overall system cost is reduced.

Another advantage resides in simplified installation.

Another advantage resides in employing a public switching telephonenetwork to provide service to patients that do not or cannot receivebroadband service.

Another advantage resides in providing A/V content on a storage mediumto mitigate an amount of bandwidth required to present the content tothe patient.

Still further advantages of the subject innovation will be appreciatedby those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understand thefollowing detailed description.

The innovation may take form in various components and arrangements ofcomponents, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawingsare only for purposes of illustrating various aspects and are not to beconstrued as limiting the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for providing remote healthcare to a patientin his or her residence using low-cost alternative technologies tofacilitate scheduling, delivering, and viewing of audio and/or video(A/V) content at the patient's residence or other remote location.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a system for cost-efficient remote patienthealth monitoring, in accordance with various aspects.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a remote patient monitoring environment inwhich the subject innovation is employed, in accordance with variousembodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method of providing a low-cost remote monitoringsystem to a patient for viewing health-related media content and forproviding patient status information to central service provider, inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method of employing patient response information toupdate a content viewing schedule for the patient, in accordance withone or more features.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system 10 for providing remote healthcare to apatient in his or her residence using low-cost alternative technologiesto facilitate scheduling, delivering, and viewing of audio and/or video(A/V) content at the patient's residence or other remote location. Thesystem can be applied in the patient's home to run the patient'ssoftware application, and can be used in the management of chronicdiseases. For instance, the system can be used to educate the patient onmedical subjects including but not limited to: various diseasedescriptions and the desired behavior to mitigate their effects upon thepatient; motivating the patient to improve such behavior; describing howto install, use, and troubleshoot the medical equipment installed in thepatient's home or remote location; etc.

The system 10 comprises a home-end device (HED) 12 located at thepatient's residence or other remote location, and that communicatesbi-directionally with a server 14 at a central location, such as ahealthcare provider's location. The HED 12 and the server 14communicate, for instance, over a public switch telephone network (PSTN)communication line. The server 14 in turn is coupled to a terminal 16that is employed by a clinician (e.g., a doctor, a nurse, or some otherhealthcare provider). The terminal 16 can be located at the healthcareprovider location or remotely in another location. Additionally,communication between the server 14 and the terminal 16 can be wirelessor wired, and can occur over an Internet/Ethernet connection or thelike. The clinician (and/or the terminal 16) schedules delivery of A/Vmedia 18 for the patient, which may comprise one or more DVDs withhealthcare-related information stored thereon, and which can be storedat the healthcare provider location or some other storage facility. Oncescheduled, the A/V media 18 is delivered to the patient's location(e.g., via mail or post, courier, etc.) for playing back to the patientusing a media player 20 included in the HED 12. According to otherembodiments, the media is provided to the patient at regularly-scheduledappointments. Additionally, the HED is operatively coupled (e.g., viawired or wireless communication links, such as Zigbee, Bluetooth,infrared, radio frequency, etc.) to one or more monitoring devices 22that monitor a health status of the patient.

The A/V content, stored on a medium (e.g., DVD-ROM, CD, memory stick,floppy disk, or some other suitable medium), may be scheduled to bedelivered at the time of installation of the HED and/or the monitoringdevices, or at a later time. For instance, a clinician can order A/Vcontent on a portable medium to be delivered to the patient's home orremote location. The system 10 provides for delivery of this content ona physical medium and by a physical delivery method (e.g., mail or post,courier, etc.). A/V content delivery over conventional communicationlinks typically involves high bandwidth connections. Although A/Vcontent can be delivered over any electronic communication link, using adeliverable media enables the communication link to the patient's HED tobe of lower bandwidth than would otherwise be possible.

Additionally, scheduling and delivery of the A/V content can beincorporated into a healthcare plan for the patient. For instance,feedback from the patient can be obtained in a variety of ways,including verbal feedback received at an appointment with a clinician,feedback from surveys completed by the patient using the HED, etc. Thefeedback information can automatically trigger updates to the deliveryand/or viewing schedules for the patient.

At installation, the A/V media 18 is installed in the proper location(e.g., a DVD drive or the like) for use in the HED. If media (e.g.,DVDs, CDs, etc.) are later delivered to the patient, the patientreceives a medium and places it in the proper location for use by theHED. The clinician can schedule replacement and/or updated audio-videocontent at a later time by scheduling delivery of additional orreplacement A/V content, delivered in the same or similar manner Afterinstallation or delivery, the clinician can schedule a certain segmentor portion of the audio-video content to be viewed by the patient. Thepatient receives notices on the HED that the patient has been requestedto view the specified segment(s) (e.g., an LED that is illuminated toindicate that new content is available, etc.). The patient then uses theHED to start the viewing of the segment or portion of the A/V contentthat has been specified. The patient can also view segments of the A/Vcontent at the patient's own initiative by using the HED to select theportion of content he desires from a menu of possible segments. In anycase, the patient can be provided with a key or code that unlocks thescheduled portion of media content for viewing. The HED can notify theclinician, via the server and terminal, what A/V content the patient hasviewed and when the patient viewed it, whether the clinician requestedthe viewing by the patient or the patient viewed the content of his owninitiative. The clinician can also receive an indication that thepatient has not watched the specified content within a pre-specifiedtime period, which can be set by the clinician.

In accordance with various embodiments, The A/V media 18 comprises oneor more of optical media, such as a CD-ROM or DVD, semiconductor memory(e.g., RAM, ROM), and magnetic media (e.g., disk, take, etc.). Thecommunication link can be, for instance, a PSTN line, a cellularcommunication link, a 2-way pager link, and/or a broadband communicationchannel, such as DSL, cable, or wireless broadband. The HED 12 caninclude input devices such as a plurality of buttons that the patientdepresses to enter information and/or select information presented tothe patient, a touch panel screen for information entry, voice-activatedentry etc. Additionally, the HED can include output components such asan LED or plasma screen, a CRT or LCD monitor, speakers, automated voiceoutput, etc. In one embodiment, the HED is connected to the patient'stelevision, which is used as an output component to present the A/Vcontent to the patient. The media player 20 can include commerciallyavailable media players, such as a TV-DVD/CD player, a DVD/CD playerwith integrated display, a custom-designed player for optical, magnetic,or semiconductor media. Media player control can include opticalcontrol, such as by infrared remote control, or wired control. It willbe appreciated that various embodiments can comprise numerouscombinations of elements in order to facilitate reducing system cost andmitigating a dependency on broadband availability.

The central server 14 can include custom and/or off-the-shelf hardware.Customized software permits physical media delivery and tracking,patient content viewing specification, scheduling, and tracking, noticeof a patient's failure to view specified content, notice to a patient ofan impending content delivery, etc. The delivery scheduling method caninclude electronic communication, mail, phone communication, etc. Thephysical delivery method of the media can include mail, private deliveryservice, hand delivery, patient pickup (e.g., at the service provider'sclinic or office), etc.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a system 30 for cost-efficient remotepatient health monitoring, in accordance with various aspects. Often,remote healthcare systems include numerous expensive components that addto system cost and complicate installation. For instance, a typicalsystem may comprise a set-top box that connects to the patient'stelevision, and a remote control that operates the set-top box.Additionally, such setups involve a cable modem, cables to connect thecomponents, and/or an AB audio/video switch, infrared receiver, eventwaiting indicator, broadband service, and professional installation. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the system 30 combines the functionality ofthe foregoing components and services into a single home-end device(HED) 12, which is employed to provide a graphical user interface (GUI)32 that presents videos, surveys, quizzes, messages, vital sign charts,etc., to the patient. Thus, the system 30 does not require the patient'stelevision or monitor as a display device, which allows more freedom inthe location of the HED within the home and prevents undesirableconfusion for the patient when trying to switch between the normalTV/DVR video programs and the video content on presented by the HED.Additionally, the HED provides information related to patient responses,patient health status, etc., to clinical and/or administrative userinterfaces using computer hardware (e.g., servers, computers, monitors(not shown) associated with clinical applications via a modem 34.According to an example, the modem is a v.92 modem, although othermodems may be employed in conjunction with the various embodimentsdescribed herein. It will be appreciated that the modem may be integralto the HED in accordance with some embodiments, such that a user canplug a phone line 46 directly in to the HED and be ready to communicatewith a centralized server.

Equipment such as the HED 12, A/V media 18, monitoring devices 22, and aremote control 36 for entering and/or selecting information into the HEDcan be shipped or otherwise delivered to the patient (e.g., by mail orpost, courier, or some other means), as prescribed or otherwise directedby the service provider or clinician. The HED includes the GUI 32 forpresenting information to the patient, and an integral or external modem34 that provides a connection to a centralized server. The modem 34utilizes a PSTN communication protocol or the like to generate acommunication link over a telephone line at the patient's location,according to some aspects. The HED additionally includes a media player38 that receives the A/V media 18 for presentation to a patient.According to one example, the A/V media is stored on a DVD ROM disc andthe media player is a DVD player. According to another example, themedia is stored on a memory stick and the media player comprises USBport into which the memory stick is inserted. Yet another exampleincludes A/V media stored on a CD, and the media player comprises a CDplayer that reads information from the CD for presentation to thepatient. It is to be appreciated that the storage medium on which theA/V media is stored may be any suitable storage medium, and the mediaplayer may accordingly include any suitable means for reading the A/Vmedia from the storage medium for playback the patient.

The HED additionally comprises a plurality of buttons and/or keys 40that the patient employs to enter information into the HED. Forinstance, the plurality of buttons can include a number of directionalarrows (e.g., up, down, left, right, etc.) that the patient uses tonavigate through information presented on the GUI, as well as an “enter”key that the patient depresses to select or enter information on the GUIfor entry to the HED. According to another embodiment, the HED includesa numerical keypad, similar to that of a telephone, which the patientuses to enter numerical information. Yet another embodiment relates to atouchscreen GUI for user input. Additionally, the system 30 includes theremote control 36, which has a similar or identical plurality of keys40, and the HED receives information from the remote control via awireless component 42. Optionally, the input buttons or keys can belocated only on the remote. For instance, the wireless component caninclude an infrared (IR) and/or radio frequency (RF) component thatreceives one or more of IR and RF signals from the remote control.Additionally, the wireless component can include a Bluetooth, Zigbee, orother component and can receive information using associatedcommunication protocols from one or more monitoring devices 22. Forexample, the monitoring devices 22 can include a digital scale, a bloodpressure (BP) monitor, a pulse oximeter, a glucometer, a rhythm striprecorder, or any other suitable patient monitoring devices that measurea state of the patient and transmit information related thereto to theHED for transmission to the service provider and/or clinician.

In one embodiment, the HED is a flat screen monitor with a built-in DVDdrive, a built-in telephone modem, and a built-in communication moduleif wireless patient modules are part of the system. Input buttons canthen be located on the remote, a touch screen, or as virtual buttonsdisplayed on the GUI. Alternatively, a limited number of buttons can bearranged in columns along sides of the GUI. In this manner, the HED hasonly two cords, a power cord 44 that terminates with a standard andeasily recognizable wall plug, and a telephone cord 46 that ends with astandard plug for a telephone jack. Additionally or alternatively, theHED has a telephone jack, coupled to an internal modem 34, into which auser can insert a telephone cord, and then can insert the other end ofthe cord into a wall-mounted telephone jack.

According to a general example, the system 30 exhibits reduced overallsystem cost by replacing the set-top box, the patient's television thecable modem, cables to connect the components, AB audio/video switch,separate infrared receiver, event waiting indicator, broadband service,professional installation, etc., with a less expensive hardwareconfiguration, capable of presenting the same (or similar) patientinterface. The equipment is “plug-and-play,” meaning that professionalinstallation is not required, and communicates with the clinical end viaa standard telephone line already present in the patient's home(therefore eliminating the cable or other broadband subscription andassociated monthly service charge). Video can be provided on DVD disksand video program material is periodically updated by sending new DVDdisks to the patient's home. A video monitor, DVD player, and interfaceare part of the HED, and can be either integrated or separateoff-the-shelf components. Patient control and/or input occurs bytouchscreen, buttonpad, mouse, or custom tablet.

In some embodiments, the GUI and media player are an integraloff-the-shelf device, such as a portable DVD player that is plugged intothe HED, which provides the remaining functionality (e.g., communicationlink to the central server, wireless communication with the remoteand/or monitoring devices, etc.)

Data transfer is executed using small packets capable of being deliveredover telephone lines at reasonable and/or conventional data rates. Videoneed not be transferred in this manner because it is present on a DVDdisc. The system 30 controls the media player to call up DVDs at theappropriate time and with the appropriate controls. For an example, aparticular video segment is scheduled for the patient to view, and thepatient starts the video presentation when the patient chooses. In theevent that the media content is not already inserted into the mediaplayer, the HED can prompt the user to insert the media content.Automatic control of the media player can be performed using wired orwireless means, for example using the IR signals from a controlling unitto remotely control the media player. Additionally, A/V media isrefreshed from time to time, such as by sending out new discs or otherstorage media as needed. In this manner, the system 30 leveragesoff-the-shelf, high volume, readily available, and competitively pricedcomponents (such as DVD players, LCD or CRT displays, etc.).Additionally or alternatively, the HED includes custom hardware,software, and/or firmware.

Accordingly, in one embodiment, the system 30 facilitates providing aninterface including a display specific for patient monitoring, whichdoes not rely on broadband or the patient's existing television. Thesystem 30 also provides for data transfer over a telephone line insteadof broadband, and video delivery via DVD installed with the system andupdated by periodic mailing to the patients home. Moreover, DVD playbackis controlled by the system, and the HED serves as data hub fortransferring messages, surveys, quizzes, and vital sign data from thepatient's home to the clinical application.

In one embodiment, the HED 12 is a self-contained unit that is userfriendly, such as a digital picture frame/display or portable DVDplayer. Since many TVs are now a part of home entertainment systems withcomplex cabling, requiring highly paid professionals to modify thecabling to accommodate an additional system, complex setup issues aremitigated by providing the self-contained HED. The GUI display 32, suchas an LCD or the like, is connected with (or easily cabled to) whichincludes the DVD ROM player 38, a computer controller (not shown) suchas a processor and associated memory, the modem 34, the wirelesscomponent 42 for receiving signals from wireless physiological parametermonitors 22, and an input device such as the remote control 36, thesmall keypad 40, or a touchscreen. The HED has one input connection fora regular phone line and another power connection for electrical power.In one embodiment, the HED includes a picture frame and digital picturedisplay that displays digital photographs when not in use for medicalpurposes and is easily switched over to its medical applications at thetouch of a button.

In another embodiment, the HED includes A/V ports (e.g., typically red,yellow, and white color-coded A/V connectors) (not shown) that thepatient may use to connect the HED to corresponding ports on thepatient's TV should the patient so desire. In this case, the patient isprovided with the option of performing a third connection by pluggingthe HED into the A/V jacks, which are often conveniently located on thefront of more modern television sets, should the patient desire a largerdisplay than is provided on the HED.

The patient periodically receives the DVD 18, for instance in the mailor during a doctor's visit. According to an example, a single DVDcarries approximately 90 days worth of educational programming However,it will be appreciated that various DVDs have different storagecapacities, and that more or fewer educational programs may be stored ona single DVD in accordance with healthcare program constraints and as afunction of DVD capacity. Periodically, the system 30 dials in to thehospital or medical center to receive instructions, report physiologicalparameter readings, receive e-mail messages for the patient, and thelike. Unlike a typical DVD player, the system controls the programmingcontent that can be presented at any given time. For example, once aday, the system permits the viewer to watch the next scheduled videosegment(s). In this example, the HED auto-connects to the server,receives decryption keys for a specified video segment, and then alertsthe patient that a video is ready for viewing. The segment(s) are readfrom the DVD disk on a designated schedule. The programming can alsoinclude a survey which enables a patient to answer questions about thevideo. Based on the scoring of this survey, the medical center may sendcontrol signals to the unit such that at the next viewing, a remedialsegment is played, an advanced segment is played, one of the prior videosegments is played, or the like.

A well-being survey can be presented to the patient each morning or moreoften, during the day. This survey asks the patient general questionsabout how the patient is feeling. The answers to these questions aretransmitted via a modem and phone line to the medical center where theywill be computer reviewed using a series of rules. If the answersindicate that medical assistance should be provided, a nurse on call orother medical professional is alerted and appropriate instructions arereturned promptly to the patient. The patient's HED controls the modemto hold the communication line open for a period of time after reportingthese survey results. If the rules-based analysis indicates that thereis a medical problem, the computer at the hospital end can instruct thepatient's HED control computer to hold the connection open longer whilea medical professional is consulted.

By providing an integrated HED with only power and telephone inputs, theHED can be readily carried by the patient to substantially any room inthe home or other remote location. The GUI can be viewed like a TV, heldlike a book, or the like. The GUI can also be held as close to or as faraway from the patient as the patient's eyesight may dictate. Moreover,the patient can take the HED when visiting friends or relatives down thestreet or across the country. For instance, the GUI portion of the HEDcan be folded down into a closed position against the keypad 40 (e.g.,such as is common with portable DVD players, laptops and the like). Inother embodiments, the GUI portion is collapsible, retractable, and/orexpandable, further reducing device size and increasing portability. TheHED can be made even more portable using rechargeable and cell phonetechnologies. Still furthermore, the HED can be equipped with a resetbutton (not shown) that the patient can press when plugging the HED into a new phone line. Depressing the reset button causes the HED toconnect to a registration server to alert the server to re-identify thephone number from which the HED is dialing in. The HED can then open acommunication link with the service provider server as usual.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a remote patient monitoring environment 50in which the subject innovation is employed, in accordance with variousembodiments. The environment 50 may be, in some aspects, a patient'sresidence or home, and includes a plurality of rooms. The environment 50includes one or more phone jacks 52 into which the patient plugs an HED12 during a remote monitoring session or the like. For instance, thepatient places the HED in a room in which the patient desires to carryout the monitoring session or to view A/V material, and plugs the HEDinto a phone jack. The HED is powered by plugging into a wall outlet orby battery, or both. The patient then turns on the HED and inserts theA/V media to be viewed. Should the patient so choose, the patient canmove the HED into another room at the patient's convenience and pluginto a phone jack there to continue the remote monitoring session.

In one embodiment, the patient receives a DVD containing severaleducational videos and the like. For instance, the patient can receive aDVD containing approximately 90 videos of approximately 5-10 minutes inlength, and can view a new video each day for approximately threemonths, at which time the patient receives a new DVD (e.g., via mail,post, courier, etc.). A/V media is encrypted to prevent unauthorizedviewing. When the patient plugs in and logs on to the service providernetwork, the patient's HED receives keys that unlock scheduled contentand permit the patient to view the scheduled content. For example, thepatient can log into the system (e.g., by plugging in to the telephoneline and optionally entering user identification information whenprompted, etc.) and the keys (e.g., a decryption codec or the like) canbe downloaded to the HED to permit the patient to view the contentscheduled for the given day or session. According to another example,the patient can select a video or other media that the patient wouldlike to view and can request that the video be made available. In such acase, the service provider server can transmit the decryption key(s)required for the requested video to the patient's HED to unlock thevideo for viewing. In this manner, proprietary content can be protectedby the service provider and/or manufacturer until the user is authorizedto view the content. Additionally, restricting access to the contenthelps the patient remain focused on the healthcare plan as provided,rather that pursuing his own objectives, which can distract the patientand detract from the goals of the healthcare plan generated by thehealthcare provider.

FIGS. 4-5 illustrate one or more methods related to providing a low-costremote monitoring system that communicates with a centralized serverusing a PSTN communication link in order to reduce system setup andoperation complexity for a patient, in accordance with various features.While the methods are described as a series of acts, it will beappreciated that not all acts may be required to achieve the describedgoals and/or outcomes, and that some acts may, in accordance withcertain aspects, be performed in an order different than the specificorders described.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method 60 of providing a low-cost remote monitoringsystem to a patient for viewing health-related media content and forproviding patient status information to central service provider, inaccordance with one or more embodiments. At 62, a patient receives mediacontent, such as a DVD ROM or the like comprising health-related videoand/or audio information for viewing by the patient. The patientreceives the content in the mail, via courier or parcel service, handdelivery, by picking up the content at a service provider location suchas a warehouse or clinic, or by any other suitable means or method. At64, the patient inserts the media into the HED for viewing. That is, ifthe media is stored on a DVD, then the patient inserts the media into aDVD player associated with or integral to the HED. However, it will beappreciated that other media storage types (e.g., CD, memory stick,magnetic tape, floppy disk, smart card, mini disc, memory card, etc.)are contemplated, and the patient can insert such storage media into anappropriate media player or reader for playback of the content.

At 66, the patient connects to the service provider's server using acommunication link generated by the HED. The communication link can beautomatically opened by the HED when the user connects the HED to aphone jack, and/or can be initiated upon the patient entering user IDinformation into the HED. At 68, one or more decryption keys arereceived at the HED to unlock one or more videos or surveys for patientviewing. For instance, if the patient is scheduled to view one or morevideos on a given day, then upon logging on to the system, thedecryption keys for the relevant portion of the content on the DVD areprovided to the patient's HED. According to another example, the HEDand/or the server track patient viewing activity, and the HED isprovided with decryption keys for a next unviewed video in a series ofvideos.

At 70, the patient is permitted to view the scheduled content. Accordingto an example, videos may be marked with a watermark or other signalthat prompts the HED to record and/or transmit an indication that thevideo has been viewed by the patient.

Additionally, at 72, other information is entered into the HED andtransmitted to the server for evaluation by a clinician. For instance,entered information can be user-entered information, such as through aremote control associated with the HED, keys or a touchscreen on theHED, etc. Additionally or alternatively, entered information can includeinformation received from one or more patient monitoring devices (e.g.,a scale, a BP monitor, a blood-glucose monitor, an oximeter, a rhythmstrip recorder, or some other suitable patient status monitoring device,at 74. The HED then transmits entered information to the server, at 76.By providing the media content on a storage medium that is inserted intothe HED, a need for a high-speed broadband connection is mitigated, thuspermitting the HED and server to communicate using a less expensivealternative communication link, such as the PSTN communication link, totransmit smaller packets of information (e.g., monitoring devicemeasurement information, decryption key information, etc.).

FIG. 5 illustrates a method 80 of employing patient response informationto update a content viewing schedule for the patient, in accordance withone or more features. At 82, encrypted media content is provided to apatient at regular or semi-regular intervals. For instance, a patientcan receive a DVD or other storage medium comprising A/V media contentmonthly, weekly, quarterly, etc., with ample content thereon tofacilitate daily, weekly, etc., viewing on portions of the content. Thepatient's HED is detected by a centralized service provider server uponlogin to a communication link with the server, which is a PSTNcommunication link in some embodiments, at 84. At 86, decryption keysfor one or more scheduled videos are provided by the server to the HEDover the communication link, and the patient is permitted to view thescheduled content.

At 88, the patient is prompted to complete a survey related to theviewed content. For example, the patient can be prompted to rate thevideo(s) for information content, ease of understanding, relevance tothe patient's present condition, etc. Additionally, the patient can beprompted to enter objective information, which can be automaticallyentered from monitoring devices connected to the HED and/or can comprisepatient diet information and the like, as well as subjective information(e.g., how the patient feels, whether the patient has experiencedspecified symptoms, etc.). In response to the entered information, aclinician can update the patient's content-viewing schedule, at 90. Forexample, the patient may enter information that renders one or morescheduled videos less relevant than other scheduled videos, and theclinician can redesign the patient's viewing schedule with preferencegiven to the more relevant video content. Additionally, the methodfacilitates reducing system complexity for the user because allinformation transfer between the server and the HED occurs over a PSTNconnection, so the user does not need to maintain an expensive broadbandservice. Furthermore, the method facilitates providing service to usersthat cannot obtain broadband connections due to geographical or otherimpediments.

1. A system (10, 30) for remotely monitoring a patient, including: ahome-end device HED (12) that periodically connects to a healthcareservice provider server (14) over a communication link and receives atleast one decryption key; a media player (20, 38) that receives astorage medium (18) containing encrypted audio/video (A/V) content, ascheduled portion of which is unlocked by the at least one decryptionkey; and a power cable connection.
 2. The system according to claim 1,wherein the communication link is a public switching telephone network(PSTN) communication link
 3. The system according to claim 1, whereinthe media player (20, 38) is at least one of a DVD player or mediaplayer with a USB port, and the storage medium 18 is at least one of aDVD ROM disk or a USB memory stick.
 4. The system according to claim 1,further including a graphical user interface (GUI) (32) that presentsthe A/V content to the patient.
 5. The system according to claim 1,further including an input device (32, 36, 40) that is employed by thepatient to input information to the HED (12),wherein the input device isat least one of a touchscreen (32), a remote control (36), or a keypad(40).
 6. The system according to claim 1, further including a monitoringdevice (22) that measures a health state of the patient and wirelesslytransmits the health state information to a wireless component (42) inthe HED (12).
 7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the decryptionkey is provided to unlock the scheduled portion of the A/V contentaccording to a schedule that is part of a healthcare plan for thepatient.
 8. The system according to claim 1, wherein portions of the A/Vcontent that are not unlocked by the received decryption key are notviewable by the patient until respective decryption keys there for arereceived.
 9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server (14)includes: a routine or means (82) for periodically providing encryptedmedia content to the patient; a routine or means (84) for detecting theHED (12) upon login over the communication link; a routine or means (86)for providing decryption keys to the HED (12) for a scheduled portion ofA/V content; a routine or means (88) for prompting a patient to completea survey by entering information into the HED (12); and a routine ormeans (90) for updating a content-viewing schedule for the patient basedon the survey.
 10. A method for providing the system of claim 1,comprising: receiving healthcare-related media content on a storagemedium (18); inserting the storage medium (18) into the media player(20, 38) of the HED (12); establishing a communication link with theserver; receiving a decryption key for a scheduled portion of the mediacontent; displaying scheduled content to the patient and receivingpatient-entered information; and transmitting the patient-enteredinformation to the server (14) for review by a clinician.
 11. A home-enddevice (HED) (12) comprising, in a common housing: a video display (32);a media player (20, 38) that plays media (18) for display on the display(32); and a telephone modem (34) for receiving communications via apublic switching telephone system.
 12. The HED (12) according to claim11, further including: a power cord (44) extending from the HED (12);and a telephone cord (42) for connecting with a telephone jack.
 13. TheHED (12) according to claim 11, wherein the common housing has a form ofa framed picture that can be held by a patient for easy viewing.
 14. TheHED (12) according to claim 11, wherein the media (18) is encoded orencrypted, and further including: a means or routine (66) for connectingto a server (14) via the modem (34); and a means or routine (68) forreceiving a key to release one or more selected portions of videoprogramming from the media (18), the released video programming beingdisplayed on the display (32).
 15. A method of providing a remotepatient healthcare monitoring and education system, including:instructing the patient to connect an HED (12) to a telephone line and apower source; physically providing encrypted healthcare-related mediacontent to a patient on a physical medium (18); instructing the patientto insert the media content physical medium (18) into a media player(20, 38) associated with the HED (12); generating a communication linkbetween the HED (12) and a centralized server (14) over the telephoneline; providing one or more keys that unlock a scheduled portion of themedia content to the HED (12); and displaying the scheduled portion ofthe media content to the patient.
 16. The method according to claim 15,further including: delivering another encrypted healthcare-related mediacontent physical medium (18) to the patient using at least one of mail,post, courier, or parcel service.
 17. The method according to claim 15,further including: prompting the patient to enter information responsiveto survey questions into the HED (12); and transmitting patientresponses to the centralized server (14) for review by a clinician. 18.The method according to claim 17, further including employing a publicswitching telephone network to deliver at least one of keys to the HED(12) and patient responses to the server (14).
 19. The method accordingto claim 18, further including adjusting a healthcare regimen for thepatient as a function of the patient responses and adjusting acontent-viewing schedule for the patient as a function of the patientresponses.
 20. A processor or computer-readable medium programmed toperform the method of claim
 15. 21. A remote healthcare patienteducation system, including: means for scheduling physical delivery ofhealthcare-related A/V media content to a remote patient; means forproviding a PSTN communication link between an HED (12) at the patientlocation and a centralized server (14); means for providing at least onedecryption key to the HED (12); means for displaying decrypted mediacontent to the patient according to a viewing schedule; means forreceiving feedback related to the displayed media content from thepatient; and means for adjusting the predefined viewing schedule as afunction of the feedback.
 22. The system according to claim 21, whereinreceived feedback from the patient is employed by the means forscheduling to update a delivery schedule for delivering A/V mediacontent to the patient.